Exciting New APH Products Announced!

Registration for the 145th Annual Meeting of Ex Officio Trustees and Special Guests is NOW OPEN!

Many of you have received your electronic invitation to the 2013 APH Annual Meeting via email by now. Please take a few minutes to look over the information about our great program, outstanding related meetings, tours of APH, fun social events, and more. Sign up now to attend Annual Meeting, October 17-19!

Highlights will include the opening keynote session by Kevin O’Connor, Tuck Tinsley’s “state of the company” address, product training sessions, product input sessions, “Teacher Talks” in the APH Product Showcase, the Information Fair, the InSights Art Awards Banquet and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, and more. Two Ex Officio Trustee-only events will provide EOTs with opportunities to guide APH, network with colleagues, and gather the latest information about all things APH.

If you did not yet receive an electronic Annual Meeting invitation, you will find all of the above information by following this link: http://www.cvent.com/d/scqy9s/1Q

If you want additional information or have questions, please contact Janie Blome, email hidden; JavaScript is required, or call 800-223-1839, ext. 367. Please continue to visit the Annual Meeting website for further updates.

Keynote Address

Kevin O’Connor, Keynote Speaker

We are pleased to announce that this year’s keynote speaker is Kevin O’Connor, a Certified Speaking Professional and one of fewer than 590 people in the world who hold this honor for speaking and presenting excellence! A renowned expert in his field, O’Connor specializes in consulting with professionals who must find influence with other professionals. A veteran speaker with 30 years of experience, he holds three masters degrees, and also teaches at Chicago’s Loyola University and Columbia College, Chicago’s performing arts school.

Kevin, the father of a 25 year-old son who is blind, is a past president of NAPVI, The National Association for Parents of Children Who Are Visually Impaired. Kevin has presented to the Council of Schools for the Blind (COSB), the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER), at the American Foundation for the Blind’s (AFB) Jo Taylor Leadership Conference, and at many of the schools for children who are blind or visually impaired. He has authored four books and served as a contributor to four more.

2013 Virgil Zickel Awards for Product Development will be presented at Annual Meeting

Millie Smith
Ellen Trief

APH’s Virgil Zickel Award recognizes those creative and caring individuals whose ideas result in the development of innovative products designed to improve the quality of life for people who are blind and visually impaired.

Virgil Zickel was a dedicated employee of the American Printing House for the Blind for 27 years during the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. In his role as Plant Manager, he was crucial to the development and production of countless products. We are proud to bestow the Zickel Award in honor of this outstanding man whose talents were responsible for bettering the lives of countless visually impaired students and adults.

Creepy! Snap, Snap! Kooky! Snap, Snap!

Sweet! Neat! Petite!

Are you planning to attend the APH Annual Meeting in October? If so, you’ll want to plan to be in Louisville Saturday night to join us for a very special event. Where else can you enjoy dinner AND a show with your colleagues from across the country?

On Saturday, October 19, Annual Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to attend a buffet dinner and a performance of “The Addams Family” by the national touring company at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts. Cost for the event is $65, and includes both the dinner and the play. This is part of the Broadway Across America series in Louisville. These discounted tickets will provide special group seating for APH attendees, and the play can be audio described for our guests who are blind and visually impaired.

Not into the kooky, mysterious, and spooky, but still looking for a good dinner opportunity? You are also welcome to attend the buffet dinner at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts for only $25!

Sign up when you register for Annual Meeting! PLEASE NOTE: Theater tickets MUST be ordered no later than September 24, so if you plan to attend the show, you must register by the September 24th deadline!

Shhh! Teacher Is Talking!

A new event will take place at Annual Meeting this year. On Thursday afternoon, October 16, from 2:00–5:00, experienced teachers will be in the APH Product Showcase to share information about using APH products. Want to know about SAM: Symbols and Meaning for students with multiple disabilities? Millie Smith will be on hand to answer your questions, share her strategies, and show you the best ways to use SAM with your students. Need a great talking graphing calculator? We’ve got one, and Susan Osterhaus will be in the Showcase demonstrating this amazing new product, the Orion TI 84 Plus Talking Graphing Calculator. Want to know more about Tactile Town and other tactile graphics products? Kristie Smith will be there with a multitude of ideas for using APH products in unique and creative ways.

You won’t want to miss these informal yet informative sessions with some expert teachers. Plan to arrive in Louisville in time to hear what they have to say, ask your questions, and return home ready to teach with these great APH products!

Attention Accessible Scholastic News® Readers

We need your help!

APH is collaborating on a public relations effort with Scholastic Classroom Magazine in New York. We are looking for a teacher and/or a student who will be willing to give a “testimonial” about having access to the large print or braille Scholastic News® magazines in their classrooms.

This “human interest” piece will be pitched to national media in hopes that a print or electronic media outlet will run the story. Please help us identify someone willing to share their story. We promise, this will be easy.

DAISY Online

Shortly after releasing the Book Port DT last fall, APH became the first organization in the United States to host a DAISY Online server. DAISY Online is a specification for letting the user download content directly to a capable digital talking book machine without having to use a computer. DAISY Online is a combination of a server, content provider, and a client. In this case, the new server, hosted at APH, is the server; APH magazines and Bookshare are the content providers; and the Book Port DT is the capable client.

This month, APH proudly announces support for a third content provider. That provider is the Open Library project at www.openlibrary.org. Open Library contains millions of works and has arranged with the National Library Service to provide copyrighted content to NLS patrons who have authorized their player with the BARD service. In addition, APH is in the process of digitizing the collection from the Migel Library and posting it to Open Library.

APH Libraries Participate in Open Library Project

APH is pleased to announce expanded access to the APH Libraries. More than 1,600 items from the APH Libraries collections, including APH and public domain materials, already have been made available in a variety of full text formats thanks to an ongoing digitization project with LYRASIS and the Internet Archive. We are now expanding our digitization efforts to include the protected DAISY format available through Internet Archive’s Open Library project.

Books in the protected DAISY format can only be read on compatible reading devices, such as the Book Port DT, with an encryption key from the Library of Congress’ National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS). This allows us to provide copyrighted material from the Libraries to NLS patrons.

To locate our expanding offerings of digitized items, visit http://migel.aph.org and type in the phrase “full text.” Click on the full text link in the record, and you will be taken directly to the Internet Archive page where you can access the material in a variety of formats, access the Open Library page where you can download the encrypted DAISY book, or select other full text resources.

You also can access the entire contents of Open Library directly via APH’s implementation of DAISY Online. For more information about DAISY Online, visit http://tech.aph.org/bpdt_online.htm.

For more information on the APH Libraries and our digitization efforts, contact email hidden; JavaScript is required or email hidden; JavaScript is required.

Here’s a Tip: Check out APH Quick Tips!

Don’t take any wooden nickels! Wait a half-hour after eating before swimming!

These are tips we’ve heard, but here’s a NEW and really useable one: Check out APH Quick Tips—short, weekly video suggestions about all things APH! Discover hints on how to make tactile graphics, how to submit feedback on an APH product, how to keep your US Puzzle Map pieces together, how to incorporate the new Paint Pot Palette into a classroom curriculum—and more!

If YOU have an idea for APH Quick Tips, send it to Kerry Isham at email hidden; JavaScript is required. We may use your tip, and we’ll give you credit!

Contest Deadline Just Over a Month Away!

You can still be a Summer 2013 Unforgettable APH Star. The deadline to send your Unforgettable Videos featuring APH products is September 17th, 2013. Remember you can be the winner of the $150.00 cash prize, as well as to be eligible to enter the drawing of Amazon.com gift certificates.

Oldies but Goodies: The "Established" APH Product Series

Talking Typer™ for Windows®: with Enhanced Voicing

Talking Typer is a typing and computer keyboard training program for the PC. Designed for use either by an individual or by multiple students, it uses the computer’s sound card and screen to instruct, practice drills, or play games with typing lessons. It shows and speaks a series of letters or words and waits for students to type them. Talking Typer includes several features that allow teachers to make modifications to fit a particular need. Teachers may create and edit lesson content, adjust the program to the student’s level of vision and set it for a variety of skill levels.

If you are interested in taking a closer look at this program, or many of the other software programs that APH offers, simply download a demonstration version of the program from the APH Technology Products Webpage. If you decide that you would like to purchase it, just phone our toll free number (1-800-223-1839) and one of our customer service representatives will be happy to process your purchase and provide you with a code key that transforms the demo copy of the program into a full copy of the program. Customers can also order the CD-ROM via mail, toll-free phone, or the APH Shopping Website.

If you have any suggestions for other products you would like to see highlighted in this monthly feature, please send your comments to Monica Turner at email hidden; JavaScript is required.

New @ the APH Museum

Delegates to the 1910 AAIB meeting in Little Rock, AR.Click to enlarge

Scans of a new group of historic annual reports are now available on the APH museum website. The first U.S. association of teachers in the blindness field was the American Association of Instructors of the Blind. The group met for the first year in 1853, but did not truly get organized until 1871. Reports from the AAIB, a companion group organized in 1905, the American Association of Workers for the Blind, and APH annual reports form part of thousands of documents from residential schools and blindness agencies held in the museum and the M.C. Migel Library. Many have been scanned over the past few years through a partnership with the Internet Archive. This new web page makes the use of these three groups of reports quick and easy. You can find it at http://www.aph.org/museum/featured_collections.html.

From the Field:

Braille Education with Cosmo eBrailler and BERT

BERT is short for Braille Education Remote Tool. When used with the Cosmo ebrailler, BERT allows for remote braille instruction in over 130 languages! Math codes, braille tables, various braille translation grades are already programmed into the application. Cosmo is an electronic braille typewriter that can be used as a quiet classroom braille embosser or as a braille input device for a computer when used with the Duxbury Braille Translator application. Intrigued? Visit the website for more information: www.ebrailler.com.

Around the House:

Jennifer McMahon
Tori Saunders

We welcome two new staff members in the Development Department.

Jennifer McMahon joins us as the Director of Corporate Development. Jennifer was most recently the Marketing Director for the Cincinnati International Wine Festival and just prior to that the Marketing Manager for the Kentucky Derby Festival for five years.

Tori Saunders joins us as the new Veteran Outreach Coordinator. Her primary focus will be contacting Veteran Service Organizations, identifying APH products that Service Members can use, and finding new sources of funding to underwrite those products. Tori received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Anderson University in English and Writing.

APH on the Road

Western Michigan University students take time out to play Touch ‘em All Baseball!

Western Michigan University CIP Event

As part of APH’s Collaborative Instructional Partnership (CIP) Program, on June 28th, Field Services Representative Kerry Isham presented to a very enthusiastic group of Western Michigan University Students in Kalamazoo, MI. This event was initiated by Elyse Connors of the Department of Blind and Low Vision Services. The all-day presentation covered information on APH products and services, the core and expanded core curricula, products for daily living, and literacy. Everyone also enjoyed some hands-on time with materials (including Tactile Town, Touch ‘em All Baseball, Giant Textured Beads with Pattern Matching Cards, and the VisioBook) while participating in a group exercise. The participants also competed against one another in a spirited game of “Are You Smarter than an APH Field Services Representative?” which tested their knowledge of APH products. Students and faculty alike reported that the jam-packed day of APH activities was a valuable learning experience!

APH booth at the NAPVI International Family Conference

NAPVI International Family Conference in Newton, MA

Field Services Representative Kerry Isham worked the exhibit table and Field Services Director Janie Blome presented Products and Services from the American Printing House for the Blind: A Primer for Parents at the International Family Conference that took place from July 19-21, in Newton, MA. The theme of the conference was “Families Connecting with Families,” and there were plenty of opportunities for the approximately 150 attendees to do just that! APH products that were available included: DRAFTSMAN; Everybody Plays; the Mini-Lite Box; Move, Touch, Do!; the Peg Kit; Picture Maker; Reach for the Stars; Tactile Tangrams; TREKS and Rolling Into Place. The event was full of exciting and educational panel discussions, sessions, receptions and networking till the very end. APH project consultant and famed author Kay Ferrell provided closing remarks for the conference.

APH’s Tristan Pierce presenting at Gateways to Independence

20th Annual Gateways to Independence Conference at KSB

Tristan Pierce, Project Leader and Kerry Isham, Field Services Representative, presented on the APH Intervention Continuum at the 20th Annual Gateways to Independence Conference. The event took place July 23-24 at the Kentucky School for the Blind in Louisville, KY, and drew over 100 vision professionals. Tristan led the first part of the session. She explained that the intervention continuum includes three products (the Sensory Learning Kit, SAM: Symbols and Meaning, and Tactile Connections) that, when used sequentially, teach individuals who have no formal means of communication to express themselves. Additionally, Tristan discussed the contents of each product, and how they are used, providing copious examples. Kerry led the remaining part of the presentation, reinforcing what the attendees learned with a fun game of Intervention Continuum Jeopardy. At the end of the session, participants readily stated that the presentation was informative, fun and useful.

Treasures From the APH Libraries

The APH Barr Library supports research initiatives at APH, while the Migel Library is one of the largest collections of nonmedical information related to blindness in the world. Although the collections do not circulate, arrangements can be made to use the materials on-site. In addition, an ongoing digitization effort means APH will continue to make materials available through the online catalog at http://migel.aph.org.

Two of the many "Treasures from the APH Libraries" are described below.

From the Migel Library: Report of the Proceedings of the Conference on "Nine-Dot Braille." New York: American Foundation of the Blind, 1964.

Although the idea of nine-dot braille may be obscure today, some once saw it as a logical and important “next step” in the development of braille. The American Foundation of the Blind called for two conferences in 1962 and 1964 on the subject of this expanded nine-dot braille code. As can be seen in the conference’s list of participants, most everyone in the field with knowledge on the subject was included in the conference. Since math and sciences do not always have the contextual cues that grammar does, it was hoped that nine-dot braille might increase tactual legibility and accuracy. While keeping and adding on to the original 6-dot “submatrix” for ease of learning, additional modifier dots were to be placed on the left of the cell. It is possible that, in time, interest in nine-dot braille may have waned due to further revisions of the Nemeth code. Special thanks go to David Holladay at Duxbury Systems for help discovering this treasure. http://archive.org/details/reportofproceedi00hele

Felix Pollak was an Australian American translator, librarian, and poet who lived from 1909-1987. After serving in the U.S. Army as a translator for German prisoners during World War II, he became a rare books librarian at the University of Wisconsin, where he would remain until retirement. In his book of poems, Tunnel Visions, Pollack drew on his visual impairment to imagine the collective experience of blindness throughout history. He touches on a wide variety of topics such as guide dogs, talking books, and a visit to the Institute for the Blind, along with translating other poets’ works on the topic of blindness.

Perhaps the most compelling poem is Galileo, which is inspired by the astronomer’s sentiment of going blind later in life: “Is it not ironic that I, who expanded the universe a thousandfold, am now reduced to the dimensions of my own body?” In crafting this literary work, Pollack described that his intention was “not to indulge in self-pity, hard as it is, not to break out in an occasional howl, but to convey a degree of universality to [his] personal affliction. Our handicaps are, after all, only metaphors for the general existential situation of human beings, for the human condition itself.”

APH is working with the LYRASIS Consortium and Internet Archive to digitize portions of the M.C. Migel Library. Search the phrase “full text” to find these items at http://migel.aph.org. The digitized texts are available in a variety of formats, including DAISY, Kindle, EPUB, PDF, etc.

Braille Plus 18 Videos—Two New Videos on Word Processing

We’ve added links to yet more videos about aspects of APH’s Braille Plus 18 notetaker, this time two videos focusing on word processing. These were created by student Chase Crispin and his teacher LeAnna MacDonald. Visit our products video page to view these videos. Thanks again to Chase and LeAnna for taking time to create these helpful videos!

Social Media Spotlight

Do you like to watch YouTube videos?

There are YouTube videos, aimed at or regarding people who are visually impaired, in the form of documentaries to 30-second music clips, and everything in between. These videos can be a great resource for professionals in the field and for people who are blind and visually impaired, especially students. APH Ex Officio Trustee Jonn Paris Salb (CA) compiled a list of videos having to do with blindness, broken into categories such as "braille" and "assistive technology."

We’ve taken this resource list and published it in Fred’s Head. We’ll continue to expand it in the future, adding more categories and more videos. We hope you find it helpful!

Replacement Item

The Orion TI-84 Plus Talking Graphing Calculator is a modified TI-84 Plus with a small attachment that adds accessibility and additional controls. APH partnered with Orbit Research® and Texas Instruments® to make this powerful calculator accessible.

Unique Graph Access

The attachment consists of a unit on top of the calculator, above the screen. It includes six function keys and five cursor keys, plus stereo speakers. Use the function keys to control preferences, volume, rate, pause, silence, repeat, and more. Use the cursor keys for screen reader control, such as previous and next line, next word, next character, read all, etc.

Explore graphs using either spoken announcements or innovative “sonograph” audio and haptic (vibrating) feedback. For audio feedback, moving along the graph from left to right shifts the tone from the left to the right stereo channel; raises and lowers the tone to follow graph coordinates; as the graph moves below the x-axis where the y-coordinates are negative, white noise is added to the tone. Haptic feedback is provided for negative y-coordinates, axes crossings, and tick marks.

Features

Graph functions and trace points made accessible with speech and audible tone.

Listen to entire graph, including special sounds for negative regions and axis crossing points.

Scroll the history of calculations and quickly recall and edit input/output.

Full key help mode, which describes all keys, including 2nd and Alpha functions, without losing your work position.

Temporary mute mode for teacher/student interaction.

Use the screen reader to review the screen without losing your place.

Full access to all menus, expressions, text, and symbols displayed on the screen.

Expandable hardware accessories using USB port.

Connect to your computer via USB cable to print or emboss graphs and other work (requires a printer or embosser and a PC).

LCD display and keypad functionality are identical to the standard TI-84 Plus.

Includes

Talking Graphing Calculator unit with sliding hard plastic cover

Stereo earbuds

USB Standard A to Mini B cable with AC adapter

Four AAA batteries

Quick start guide in print and braille

Full documentation on flash drive

Note: The Talking Graphing Calculator requires two separate sets of batteries: 1). The attached talking unit includes a built-in rechargeable battery that is charged with the included USB AC adapter. 2). The graphing calculator itself requires four standard AAA batteries (included). The AAA batteries are user-replaceable.

Related Products

EZ Track is a multi-faceted line of low vision products to help you get organized…and stay that way! EZ Track products utilize large print of at least 18 points, easy-to-use binder formatting, and special accessories to aid in organizing important day-to-day activities.

EZ Track Calendar: A Low Vision Appointment Book and Calendar offers a systematic and organized way of keeping track of appointments, holidays, and other events. Each large print page holds four days, with enough room to write notes and appointments. The calendar comes with a three-ring binder.

APH offers a number of recreational books in braille (Quota funds can be used). Each of these titles was originally transcribed and produced by APH for the National Library Service which has graciously granted permission for this offering. As usual, these titles have been added to the APH Louis Database where you can find thousands of titles produced in accessible formats.

Note: all books are produced upon receipt of orders, therefore, please allow several weeks for delivery.

Bless This Mouse
by Lois Lowry: T-N1937-10 — $25.50
Hildegarde, the mouse mistress at Saint Bartholemew’s, worries about protecting all the church mice during the Blessing of the Animals, when cats will be inside. But first she must deal with her worst fear: the Great X. Grades 2-4. *(AR Quiz No. 143326, BL 4.5 Pts 3.0)

Super Stock Rookie
by Will Weaver: T-N1937-30 — $50.50
Trace Bonham feels fortunate for the chance to be a paid super-stock driver while still in high school, but regrets that it means leaving friends and his home track. Trace also wonders if the sponsor is legitimate. Grades 9 and up.
*(AR Quiz No. 143203, BL 4.6 Pts 6.0)

Butterflies
by Laura Marsh: T-N1938-30 — $10.00
Facts about Monarch butterflies focusing on the population in the eastern United States and Canada that migrates to Mexico. Explains the reasons for their annual journey and the growth process of the next generation. Discusses environmental risks to monarchs and ways to protect them. Part of National Geographic’s Great Migrations series.
Grades 2-4. *(AR Quiz No. 140134, BL 4.4 Pts 0.5)

Last Days of the Dog-Men
by Brad Watson: T-N1938-70 — $48.00
Eight short stories featuring dogs and their owners. "Seeing Eye" describes a guide dog’s reactions while waiting for a malfunctioning traffic signal to work. In "Kindred Spirits" Bailey, a southerner, regales six men with a macabre tale about the barbecued meat they are eating.

Selected Poems, First Edition
by James Merrill: T-N1919-70 — $95.50
Representative verse from the published works of James Merrill (1926-1995), ranging from First Poems in 1951 to the posthumous Collected Poems in 2001. Includes excerpts from The Changing Light at Sandover, an introduction by the editors, and a chronology.